Retrieving data from a server

ABSTRACT

A system includes a server and a controller embedded in a device. Both the server and the embedded controller are capable of communicating over a computer network. The embedded controller sends a command to the server over the computer network that identifies an instance of the device. In response, the server identifies the instance of the device based on the command, retrieves data that is specific to the instance of the device, and sends the data to the embedded controller over the computer network.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/667,737, filed on Sep. 22, 2000 in the name ofJames R. Hansen (Attorney Docket No. 11333/011001).

BACKGROUND

[0002] This invention relates to a controller embedded in a device (an“embedded controller”) that retrieves data from a remote server for aspecific instance of the device.

[0003] A device may contain an embedded controller, such as amicroprocessor, to monitor and control its operation. Any type of devicemay have an embedded controller, including, but not limited to, homeappliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers, and televisions, andmanufacturing equipment, such as robotics, conveyors and motors.

[0004] Embedded controllers, also referred to as “embedded devices”, areoften connected to an internal network, such as a local area network(LAN), with an interface to the Internet. Other devices on the internalnetwork may communicate with the embedded controllers over the internalnetwork. However, the embedded controllers are not generally addressablefrom the Internet.

SUMMARY

[0005] In general, in one aspect, the invention is directed to acontroller embedded in a device for retrieving data from a server. Thecontroller sends a command to the server that identifies an instance ofthe device and receives, from the server and in response to the command,data that is specific to the instance of the device. The data identifiesadditional data to retrieve for the device.

[0006] This aspect of the invention may include one or more of thefollowing. The command may include an operational parameter for thedevice and the data may include an updated value for the operationalparameter. The command may include plural operational parameters for thedevice and the data may include updated values that differ from currentvalues of the operational parameters.

[0007] The data may include a list of operational parameters. In thiscase, the embedded controller sends a second command to the server,which includes operational parameters from the list, and receives, fromthe server and in response to the second command, updated values of oneor more of the operational parameters included in the second command.The data may include a list of operations to be performed by thecontroller. In this case, the embedded controller parses the operationsfrom the list and performs the operations from the list.

[0008] The data may include a configuration file for the device. Thecommand identifies the instance of the device by a device type and/orone or more of a serial number and a universal unique identifier. Theembedded controller sends the command to the server periodically. Theserver runs the Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the command containsExtensible Markup Language code. The device receives the data via theHypertext Transfer Protocol.

[0009] The command may include a first operational parameter for thedevice and the data may include a second operational parameter that isunrelated to the first operational parameter. The data may include auniform resource locator. The uniform resource locator is used to obtainadditional data that relates to the device. The data may include anindication that additional data for the device is present at the server.A second command is sent to the server to retrieve the additional data.The server retrieves the additional data in response to the secondcommand. Parameters in the command determine a content of the data. Thedata may be encrypted when the data is received and then decrypted. Thedata may contain a digital signature when the data is received, which isthen authenticated. The data may include a list of operations to beperformed by the controller. The list of operations includes SimpleObject Access Protocol calls that are scripted using Extensible MarkupLanguage.

[0010] In general, in another aspect, the invention is directed to aserver for sending data over a network to a controller embedded in adevice. The server receives a command from the embedded controller,identifies an instance of the device from information in the command,retrieves data that is specific to the instance of the device, and sendsthe data to the embedded controller. The data identifies additional datafor the embedded controller to retrieve.

[0011] This aspect of the invention may include one or more of thefollowing features. The command may include a device type and/or one ormore of a serial number and a universal unique identifier. The instanceof the device may be identified based on the device type and/or one ormore of the serial number and the universal unique identifier. Theserver may parse the device type and one or more of the serial numberand universal unique identifier from the command prior to identifyingthe instance of the device.

[0012] The command may include an operational parameter for the device.The data may include an updated value of the operational parameter. Thedata may include a list of operational parameters for the device. Theserver receives a second command from the embedded controller, whichincludes an operational parameter from the list of operationalparameters, obtains an updated value of the operational parameter, andsends the updated value of the operational parameter to the embeddedcontroller.

[0013] The data may include a list of operations to be performed by theembedded controller. The data may include a configuration file for thedevice. The server may receive the data specific to the instance. of thedevice and store the data in memory, from which it is retrieved. Thedata specific to the instance of the device may be received via a Webpage generated by the server. The server may run the Hypertext TransferProtocol and the command may contain Extensible Markup Language code.The data may be stored in a queue and retrieved from the queue.

[0014] In general, in another aspect, the invention is directed to asystem that includes a controller embedded in a device that is capableof communicating over a computer network, and a server that is capableof communicating over the computer network. The embedded controllersends a command to the server over the computer network that identifiesan instance of the device and, in response, the server (i) identifiesthe instance of the device based on the command, (ii) retrieves datathat is specific to the instance of the device, and (iii) sends the datato the embedded controller over the computer network. The dataidentifies additional data for the embedded controller to retrieve.

[0015] This aspect of the invention may include one or more of thefollowing features. The embedded controller is not remotely-addressablefrom the computer network. The computer network is the Internet. Theserver runs the Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the command may containExtensible Markup Language code.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description, including the claims anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a network containing a server and adevice having an embedded controller;

[0018]FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a process by which the embeddedcontroller retrieves data for the device from the server; and

[0019]FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an alternative process by which theembedded controller retrieves data for the device from the server.

DESCRIPTION

[0020]FIG. 1 shows a network 10. Network 10 includes a device 11containing an embedded controller 17. Device 11 is any type of apparatusor system having functions that are monitored and controlled by embeddedcontroller 17.

[0021] Device 11 is connected to an internal network 12, such as a LAN.A router or modem 14 couples internal network 12 to an external network15, such as the Internet/World Wide Web (Web). External network 15 runsTCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) or some othersuitable protocol. Network connections are via Ethernet, telephone line,wireless, or other transmission media.

[0022] External network 15 contains a server 19, which is a computer orany other processing device. Server 19 communicates with embeddedcontroller 17 over external network 15 and internal network 12. Embeddedcontroller 17 has a local IP (Internet Protocol) address that can beresolved within internal network 12. However, this local IP address maynot be recognizable by devices on external network 15, such as server19. As such, server 19 may not be able to directly address device 11.

[0023] Embedded Controller

[0024] Embedded controller 17 runs software 20, which includes webclient application 21 and operating software 22. Web client application21 includes a TCP/IP protocol stack that allows embedded controller 17to communicate over external network 15. Device operating software 22provides an interface between Web client application 21 and a database24. Through device operating software 22, embedded controller 17retrieves data stored in database 24 and stores data in database 24.

[0025] Database 24 is stored in a memory 25 on device 11 or internal toembedded controller 17. Database 24 stores data, including operationalparameters, configuration files, and identification information fordevice 11.

[0026] The operational parameters constitute settings and/or controlinstructions for the device 11, which are implemented by embeddedcontroller 17. The types of operational parameters that are stored indatabase 24 depend on the nature of device 11. For example, if device 11is a heating/cooling system, the operational parameters may includetemperature levels, humidity levels, airflow controls, vent/ductopen/close controls, and fan motor speed settings. A configuration fileis a file that contains a set of one or more operational parameters foran instance of device 11.

[0027] What is meant by “instance” is the specific identity of device 11as distinguished from other identical devices. The identificationinformation stored in database 24 identifies the instance of device 11.This identification information includes, but is not limited to, dataidentifying the type of the device, a common (or “friendly”) name forthe device, the manufacturer of the device, the model name of thedevice, the model number of the device, the serial number of the device,and a universal unique identifier (UUID) for the device.

[0028] The device type specifies a uniform resource locator (URL) forthe device, which includes the name of the device. This informationidentifies a Web site that is associated with, and generated by, server19 for the device. For example, a device type might be:

[0029] www. SonyVideo.com/television/Wega/XBR400

[0030] for a Sony® Wega® XBR400® television that includes an embeddedcontroller. The common name of the device is how the device is known inthe vernacular, e.g., “television”. The manufacturer identifies themanufacturer of the device, e.g., Sony®. The model name identifies theparticular model of the device, e.g., Wega®. The model number identifiesthe model number of the device, e.g., XBR400®. The serial numberidentifies the serial number of a particular instance of the device,e.g., 53266D. The UUID is a universal identifier for the instance of thedevice, e.g., 4A89EA70-73B4-11d4-80DF-0050DAB7BAC5. Of the data shownabove, only the serial number and the UUID are unique to the instance ofdevice 11.

[0031] Server

[0032] Server 19 is a computer that runs HTTP (Hypertext TransferProtocol). Server 19 includes a controller 27, such as a microprocessor,for executing software to perform the functions described below. Toavoid confusion in terminology, the following reads as though thosefunctions are performed by server 19, even though software in controller27 of server 19 performs the functions.

[0033] Server 19 executes Web server software 29 to communicate overexternal network 15. Web server software 29 also hosts a Web pageassociated with device 11. The Web page (not shown) is displayed oncomputer 13 of a user, such as the owner of device 11, who may inputupdated operational parameters for the device. These input updatedoperational parameters are transmitted to Web server software 29 overexternal network 15. Web server software 29 stores the updatedparameters in database 30.

[0034] Web server software 29 stores and retrieves data in database 30using application logic 32. Application logic 32 is software foraccessing database 30 using the CGI (Common Gateway Interface) protocol.CGI is a well-known protocol for accessing a database. The operationalparameters can be stored in database 30 individually or as part of aconfiguration file for an instance of device 11.

[0035] Database 30 is stored in a memory 31, which is inside of, orexternal to, server 19. Database 30 stores data associated with device11, including the operational parameters noted above. Other data thatmay be stored for device 11 is described below.

[0036] The Data Transfer Process

[0037] Embedded controller 17 executes software 20 to retrieve data,such as operational parameters, from remote server 19. Server 19executes software 34 to send the data to embedded controller 17. FIG. 2shows these processes in detail. The left half of FIG. 2, titled“Embedded Controller” shows process 40 performed by embedded controller17, and the right half of FIG. 2, titled, “Server”, shows process 41performed by server 19.

[0038] Process 40 generates and sends (201) a command to server 19. Thecommand, or a modified version thereof, is sent by embedded controller17 to server 19 periodically. It is through this command that embeddedcontroller 17 polls server 19 to determine if there are any new/updatedoperational parameters for device 11.

[0039] The command includes data identifying device 11. The dataidentifies the specific instance of device 11 and includes a device typefield and one or both of a device serial number field and a device UUID.The command may also include the common name field, the manufacturername field, the model name field, and the model number field, as setforth above.

[0040] The command may be either an HTTP GET command or an HTTP postcommand. The data included in those commands is similar, with thedifference being that the HTTP GET command retrieves a document, such asa configuration file, that contains operational parameters and the HTTPPOST command retrieves individual operational parameters. An example ofan HTTP GET command is shown in Appendix A and an example of an HTTPPOST command is shown in Appendix B.

[0041] The HTTP POST and GET commands shown in Appendices A and Bcontain XML (extensible Markup Language) commands. XML is aself-describing computer language in the sense that fields in the XMLcode identify variables and their values in the XML code. For example,as shown in the Appendices, the “manufacturer” field identifies amanufacturer, e.g., Sony®, and is delineated by “<manufacturer>” toindicate the start of the field and “</manufacturer>” to indicate theend of the field. XML is used because it can be generated, parsed andread relatively easily by server 19 and embedded controller 17.

[0042] As noted, the GET command is used to retrieve a document fromserver 19. The document to be retrieved corresponds to the fields in theGET command, in particular to the device type, serial number and/or UUIDfields. By contrast, the POST command is used to retrieve individualoperational parameters. The operational parameters that are to beretrieved are listed in the POST command itself. Changing theseparameters changes the information the server provides to the embeddedcontroller. By way of example, as shown in Appendix B, the operationalparameters include airflow, humidity, motor and vent values for thefictitious “widget” device. The current values of these parameters arespecified in the POST command shown in Appendix B as follows:

[0043] <parameters>

[0044] <Airflow xsd:type=“integer”>378</Airflow>

[0045] <Humidity xsd:type=“double”>46.7</Humidity>

[0046] <Motor xsd:type=“integer”>1500</Motor>

[0047] <Vent xsd:type=“integer”>4</Vent>

[0048] </parameters>

[0049] The updated values of these parameters are returned by server 19to embedded controller 17 in a reply POST command. The updated values ofthese parameters are specified in the POST command shown in Appendix Bas follows:

[0050] <parameters>

[0051] <Motor xsd:type=“integer”>1250</Motor >

[0052] <Vent xsd:type=“integer”>2</Vent>

[0053] </parameters>

[0054] As shown, both the POST and GET commands include the URL of thedevice in the device type field. As described below, this directs server19 to a Web site associated with device 11 and, thereafter, in the caseof a GET Command, to retrieve a specific Web page that is generated forthe device by server 19 or any other device in communication withnetwork 15. It is noted that, since the POST command retrievesparameters, not a document like the GET command, the POST command neednot include a URL of the device.

[0055] Referring back to FIG. 2, process 41 (in server 19) receives(202) the command from embedded controller 17. Process 41 identifies thecommand as either a POST or GET command based on a header, such as“POST/CONTROL HTTP/1.1” (see the headers in Appendices A and B), in thecommand. Process 41 uses an XML parser to parse (203) the variousidentifying fields, such as device type, serial number, and UUID, fromthe command.

[0056] Process 41 identifies (204) the instance of device 11 based onthe information parsed from the command. That is, process 41 uses thedevice type, serial number, and UUID field information to identify theinstance.

[0057] If The Command Is A POST Command

[0058] The remaining identification information from the command is usedto narrow the search through database 30 down to data for the specificinstance of device 11. The device serial number and/or UUID are used toretrieve operational parameters specific to device 11.

[0059] Once the appropriate data has been identified (204), process 41retrieves (205) that data using application logic 32. Process 41compares the values of the operational parameters to those included inthe POST command. If the values are the same, process 41 returns anindication that there are no new/updated values for device 11. If thevalues of the operational parameters are different, process 41 adds theappropriate updated value fields to the POST command and sends (206) thePOST command, with the updated operational parameters, back to embeddedcontroller 17. Thus, only those operational parameters that differ fromtheir original values are returned to embedded controller 17 in the POSTcommand.

[0060] If The Command Is A GET Command

[0061] As was the case above with the POST command, the remainingidentification information from the command is used to narrow the searchthrough database 30 down to data for the specific instance of device 11.In particular, the device serial number and/or UUID are used to retrieve(205) a configuration file that is specific to device 11. Process 41sends (206) the configuration file to embedded controller 17. Theconfiguration file may be a Web page identified by the URL in the devicetype field. This Web page is generated by server 19 using parametersstored in database 30 and then sent to device 11. It is noted that thecomplete Web page itself need not be stored. Alternatively, the GETcommand may retrieve separate configuration files and Web pages.

[0062] Process 40 in embedded controller 17 receives (207) the data(operational parameters or configuration file) from server 19 inresponse to sending (201) the command. Process 40 uses the data toupdate/reset device 11. For example, if device 11 is a heating system, anew operational parameter may be a new temperature setting for itsthermostat. In this example, embedded controller 17 sets the newtemperature accordingly. If the device is a television, a newoperational parameter may indicate that certain pay television stationsare now available. In this case, embedded controller 17 performs anyappropriate decoding/descrambling functions on the television signal.

[0063] For both the POST and GET commands, the reply from server 19 toembedded controller 17 may contain a URL. The URL directs embeddedcontroller 17 to a Web site that contains additional information, e.g.,operational parameters and the like, for device 11. Embedded controller17 may then retrieve any necessary information from that Web site.Additionally, the reply may contain an indication that server 19contains additional data for embedded controller 17 to retrieve. In thiscase, embedded controller issues a new POST or GET command, whichever isappropriate based on the additional data identified in the reply, andprocesses 40,41 described herein are repeated to retrieve the additionaldata from server 17. The initial command and/or reply may be encryptedby server 11 and decrypted by embedded controller 17. Any of a number ofcommercially-available encryption technologies may be used. Server 17may also incorporate a digital signature into the reply. Embeddedcontroller 17 authenticates the digital signature when it receives thereply, thereby authenticating the reply.

[0064] Process 41 may also add value fields to the POST or GET commandthat are unrelated to the fields originally included in the POST or GETcommands output by controller 17. For example, if the data retrieved(205) by process 41 includes additional parameters that require updatingand that were not included in an original POST command, process 41 addsthe necessary fields and parameters to the POST command that it returnsto embedded controller 17. In this regard, server 11 may store data tobe delivered to controller 17 in a queue. When controller 17 nextcontacts server 11, the data from the queue may be transferred tocontroller 17, regardless of whether the data corresponds to data in theoriginal command.

[0065] Alternative Embodiment

[0066]FIG. 3 shows alternative embodiments of processes 40,41. Inprocesses 40,41, the GET and POST commands request the same parameterseach time the commands are issued. The parameters requested are“hard-coded” in the software that implements process 40. This embodimentprovides a way to change the parameters that are requested withoutaltering the software that generates the request/command.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 3, process 45 in embedded controller 17 beginsby sending (301) a command to server 19. The command, in this case, isan HTTP GET command, since it is requesting a document, not individualoperational parameters. The document is an XML document that contains alist of operational parameters to be updated. Using this document,embedded controller 17 can change the operational parameters that itperiodically updates.

[0068] Process 46 in server 19 receives (302) the command from embeddedcontroller 17, parses (303) the command using an XML parser to obtainthe information specific to the instance of device 11, and identifies(304) the appropriate document based on this information. As before, theinformation that identifies the instance of device 11 includes, amongother things, the device type, its serial number, and its UUID. Process46 retrieves (305) the document containing the list of operationalparameters to be updated, and sends (306) the document back to embeddedcontroller 17.

[0069] Process 45 in embedded controller 17 receives (307) the documentfrom server 19, parses (308) the operational parameters to be updatedfrom the document, and formulates (309) a POST command to send to server19. The command is formulated using a command template (not shown), intowhich process 45 inserts the operational parameters parsed from thedocument. Process 45 sends this second command to the server. At thispoint, processes 45 and 46 operate (310) in the same manner as processes40 and 41, respectively, when used with a POST command. Accordingly, thedetails of processes 40,41 are not repeated here.

[0070] This alternative embodiment may be generalized further. Forexample, rather than simply retrieving a list of operational parameters,embedded controller 17 may retrieve, from server 19, a list ofoperations that it is to perform. For example, that list may containoperational parameters to be updated, times at which the updates are tooccur, a schedule of diagnostic tests, and the like. Any operation thatmay be performed by embedded controller 17 may be included on the list.

[0071] The operations in the list may be Simple Object Access Protocol(SOAP) calls that are scripted using XML. Briefly, SOAP is a recognizedstandard for performing remote procedure calls. Scripting of SOAP callsusing XML is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filedconcurrently herewith and entitled “XML Script SOAP Commands” (AttorneyDocket No. 11333/015001), the contents of which are hereby incorporatedby reference into this application as if set forth herein in full.

[0072] The process for retrieving the list of operations is identical toprocesses 45 and 46, save for the contents of the list itself. Theactions that embedded controller takes once it has the list (i.e., 310)depend on the contents of the list. For example, the list might specifythat parameters are to be updated every hour and may also contain a listof the parameters to be updated. The list may contain XML commands,which can be parsed by embedded controller 17. Thus, embedded controller17 reads the commands in the list and performs the appropriateoperations with respect to device 11.

[0073] Architecture

[0074] Processes 40,41 and 45,46 are not limited to use with thehardware/software configuration of FIG. 1; they may find applicabilityin any computing or processing environment. Processes 40,41 and 45,46may be implemented in hardware (e.g., an ASIC {Application-SpecificIntegrated Circuit} and/or an FPGA {Field Programmable Gate Array}),software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0075] Processes 40,41 and 45,46 may be implemented using one or morecomputer programs executing on programmable computers that each includesa processor, a storage medium readable by the processor (includingvolatile and non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least oneinput device, and one or more output devices.

[0076] Each such program may be implemented in a high level proceduralor object-oriented programming language to communicate with a computersystem. Also, the programs can be implemented in assembly or machinelanguage. The language may be a compiled or an interpreted language.

[0077] Each computer program may be stored on a storage medium or device(e.g., CD-ROM, hard disk, or magnetic diskette) that is readable by ageneral or special purpose programmable computer for configuring andoperating the computer when the storage medium or device is read by thecomputer to perform processes 40,41 and 45,46.

[0078] Processes 40,41 and 45,46 may also be implemented as acomputer-readable storage medium, configured with a computer program,where, upon execution, instructions in the computer program cause thecomputer to operate in accordance with processes 40,41 and 45,46.

[0079] The invention is not limited to use with the protocols andstandards described above. For example, Web server 19 may use JavaServlets, ASP (Active Server Pages), and/or ISAPI (Internet ServerApplication Programming Interface) to communicate with application logic32, instead of, or in addition to, CGI. The commands sent by embeddedcontroller 17 and/or server 19 (e.g., in 201, 301, 310) are not limitedto HTTP GET and POST commands. Any commands and/or requests forrequesting and receiving data may be used.

[0080] The data transferred to embedded controller 17 by server 19 isnot limited to operational parameters or configuration files. The datamay include, for example, a schedule of actions to be performed bydevice 11 that is based on information pertaining the owner of thedevice. For example, owner preferences may be stored in database 30. Theinstance-specific data may be used by server 19 to correlate the ownerof the device to the appropriate preferences. These preferences then maybe transmitted back to device 11 to control the operation thereof.

[0081] The original parameters sent by embedded controller 17 to server19 may be used by server 19 to calculate new, updated parameters basedon data stored in database 30. Thus, the invention is not limited tosimply retrieving updated data, but may also include calculating newdata based on currently-available data.

[0082] The documents and commands described above are not limited to XMLformat. Any computer language may be used for the commands. Thedocuments may be in any format, for example, HTML (Hypertext MarkupLanguage) documents may be used. In addition, the invention is notlimited to use with the Web, Web servers, and the like. The servers andembedded controllers described herein may be the same type ofgeneral-purpose computer appropriately programmed, or different devices.

Appendix A GET COMMAND

[0083] GET /Widget/config.xml HTTP/1.1

[0084] HOST: www.acme.com

[0085] Content-Type: text/xml

[0086] Content-length: nnn

[0087] <?xml version=“1.0”?>

[0088] <root xmlns=“urn:schemas-upnp-org:device-1-0”>

[0089] <specversion>

[0090] <major>1</major>

[0091] <minor>0</minor>

[0092] </specVersion>

[0093] <device>

[0094] <deviceType>urn:www-acme-com:

[0095] device:Widget:3</deviceType>

[0096] <friendlyName>Widget</friendlyName>

[0097] <manufacturer>Acme Industries</manufacturer>

[0098] <modelName>Widget</modelName>

[0099] <modelNumber>3</modelNumber>

[0100] <serialNumber>53266D</serialNumber>

[0101] <UDN>uuid:4A89EA70-73B4-11d4-80DF-0050DAB7BAC5</UDN>

[0102] </device>

[0103] </root>

Appendix B POST COMMAND

[0104] POST /CONTROL HTTP/1.1

[0105] Host: www.acme.com

[0106] Content-Type: text/xml

[0107] Content-length: nnn

[0108] <?xml version=“1.0”?>

[0109] <root xmlns=“urn:schemas-upnp-org:device-1-0”>

[0110] <specVersion>

[0111] <major>1</major>

[0112] <minor>0</minor>

[0113] </specVersion>

[0114] <device>

[0115] <deviceType>urn:www-acme-com:

[0116] device:Widget:3</deviceType>

[0117] <friendlyName>Widget</friendlyName>

[0118] <manufacturer>Acme Industries</manufacturer>

[0119] <modelName>Widget</modelName>

[0120] <modelNumber>3</modelNumber>

[0121] <serialNumber>53266D</serialNumber>

[0122] <UDN>uuid:4A89EA70-73B4-11d4-80DF-0050DAB7BAC5</UDN>

[0123] </device>

[0124] </root>

[0125] <parameters>

[0126] <Airflow xsd:type=“integer”>378</Airflow>

[0127] <Humidity xsd:type=“double”>46.7</Humidity>

[0128] <Motor xsd:type=“integer”>1500</Motor>

[0129] <Vent xsd:type=“integer”>4</Vent>

[0130] </parameters>

[0131] And the response containing parameters that have been modified:

[0132] HTTP/1.1 200 OK

[0133] Connection: close

[0134] Content-Type: text/xml

[0135] Content-length: nnn

[0136] Date: Fri, Jun. 13, 2000 13:43:05 GMT

[0137] <?xml version=“1.0”?>

[0138] <parameters>

[0139] <Motor xsd:type=“integer”>1250</Motor >

[0140] <Vent xsd:type=“integer”>2</Vent>

[0141] </parameters>

[0142] Other embodiments not described herein are also within the scopeof the following claims,

What is claimed is
 1. A method performed by a controller embedded in a device for retrieving data from a server, comprising: sending a command to the server that identifies an instance of the device; and receiving, from the server and in response to the command, data that is specific to the instance of the device, the data identifying additional data to retrieve for the device.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the command includes an operational parameter for the device and the data comprises an updated value for the operational parameter.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the command includes plural operational parameters for the device and the data comprises updated values that differ from current values of the operational parameters.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a list of operational parameters; and the method further comprises: sending a second command to the server, which includes operational parameters from the list; and receiving, from the server and in response to the second command, updated values of one or more of the operational parameters included in the second command.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a list of operations to be performed by the controller; and the method further comprises: parsing the operations from the list; and performing the operations from the list.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a configuration file for the device.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the command identifies the instance of the device by a device type and/or one or more of a serial number and a universal unique identifier.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the embedded controller sends the command to the server periodically.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the server runs the Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the command contains Extensible Markup Language Code.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the data is received at the device via the Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the command includes a first operational parameter for the device and the data includes a second operational parameter that is unrelated to the first operational parameter.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein: the data includes a uniform resource locator; and the method further comprises using the uniform resource locator to obtain additional data that relates to the device.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein: the data includes an indication that additional data for the device is present at the server; and the method further comprises: sending a second command to the server to retrieve the additional data; and receiving the additional data from the server in response to the second command.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein parameters in the command determine a content of the data.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein: the data is encrypted when the data is received; and the method further comprises decrypting the data.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein: the data contains a digital signature when the data is received; and the method further comprises authenticating the digital signature.
 17. The method of claim 1, wherein: the data comprises a list of operations to be performed by the controller; and the operations comprise Simple Object Access Protocol calls that are scripted using Extensible Markup Language.
 18. A method performed by a server for sending data over a network to a controller embedded in a device, comprising: receiving a command from the embedded controller; identifying an instance of the device from information in the command; retrieving data that is specific to the instance of the device, the data identifying additional data for the embedded controller to retrieve; and sending the data to the embedded controller.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein: the command includes a device type and/or one or more of a serial number and a universal unique identifier; and the instance of the device is identified based on the device type and/or one or more of the serial number and the universal unique identifier.
 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: parsing the device type and one or more of the serial number and universal unique identifier from the command prior to identifying the instance of the device.
 21. The method of claim 18, wherein: the command includes an operational parameter for the device; and the data comprises an updated value of the operational parameter.
 22. The method of claim 18, wherein: the data comprises a list of operational parameters for the device; and the method further comprises: receiving a second command from the embedded controller, which includes an operational parameter from the list of operational parameters; obtaining an updated value of the operational parameter; and sending the updated value of the operational parameter to the embedded controller.
 23. The method of claim 18, wherein the data comprises a list of operations to be performed by the device.
 24. The method of claim 18, wherein the data comprises a configuration file for the device.
 25. The method of claim 18, further comprising: receiving the data specific to the instance of the device; and storing the data in memory; wherein the data is retrieved from the memory.
 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the data specific to the instance of the device is received via a Web page generated by the server.
 27. The method of claim 18, wherein the server runs the Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the command contains Extensible Markup Language Code.
 28. The method of claim 18, further comprising: storing the data in a queue; wherein the data is retrieved from the queue.
 29. A system comprising: a controller embedded in a device, the controller being capable of communicating over a computer network; and a server that is capable of communicating over the computer network; wherein the embedded controller sends a command to the server over the computer network that identifies an instance of the device and, in response, the server (i) identifies the instance of the device based on the command, (ii) retrieves data that is specific to the instance of the device, the data identifying additional data for the embedded controller to retrieve, and (iii) sends the data to the embedded controller over the computer network.
 30. The system of claim 29, wherein the embedded controller is not remotely-addressable from the computer network.
 31. The system of claim 29, wherein the computer network comprises the Internet.
 32. The system of claim 29, wherein the server runs the Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the command contains Extensible Markup Language Code.
 33. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer program being executable by a controller embedded in a device to retrieve data from a server, the computer program comprising instructions that cause the embedded controller to: send a command to the server that identifies an instance of the device; and receive, from the server and in response to the command, data that is specific to the instance of the device, the data identifying additional data to retrieve for the device.
 34. The computer program of claim 33, wherein the command includes an operational parameter for the device and the data comprises an updated value for the operational parameter.
 35. The computer program of claim 34, wherein the command includes plural operational parameters for the device and the data comprises updated values that differ from current values of the operational parameters.
 36. The computer program of claim 33, wherein the data comprises a list of operational parameters; and the computer program further comprises instructions that cause the embedded controller to: send a second command to the server, which includes operational parameters from the list; and receive, from the server and in response to the second command, updated values of one or more of the operational parameters included in the second command.
 37. The computer program of claim 33, wherein the data comprises a list of operations to be performed by the controller; and the computer program further comprises instructions that cause the embedded controller to: parse the operations from the list; and perform the operations from the list.
 38. The computer program of claim 33, wherein the data comprises a configuration file for the device.
 39. The computer program of claim 33, wherein the command identifies the instance of the device by a device type and/or one or more of a serial number and a universal unique identifier.
 40. The computer program of claim 33, wherein the embedded controller sends the command to the server periodically.
 41. The computer program of claim 33, wherein the server runs the Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the command contains Extensible Markup Language Code.
 42. The computer program of claim 41, wherein the data is received at the device via the Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
 43. The computer program of claim 33, wherein the command includes a first operational parameter for the device and the data includes a second operational parameter that is unrelated to the first operational parameter.
 44. The computer program of claim 33, wherein: the data includes a uniform resource locator; and the computer program further comprises instructions that cause the computer to use the uniform resource locator to obtain additional data that relates to the device.
 45. The computer program of claim 33, wherein: the data includes an indication that additional data for the device is present at the server; and the computer program further comprises instructions that cause the computer to: send a second command to the server to retrieve the additional data; and receive the additional data from the server in response to the second command.
 46. The computer program of claim 33, wherein parameters in the command determine a content of the data.
 47. The computer program of claim 33, wherein: the data is encrypted when the data is received; and the computer program further comprises instructions that cause the computer to decrypt the data.
 48. The computer program of claim 33, wherein: the data contains a digital signature when the data is received; and the computer program further comprises instructions that cause the computer to authenticate the digital signature.
 49. The computer program of claim 33, wherein: the data comprises a list of operations to be performed by the controller; and the operations comprise Simple Object Access Protocol calls that are scripted using Extensible Markup Language.
 50. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium that is executable by a server to send data over a network to a controller embedded in a device, the computer program comprising instructions that cause the server to: receive a command from the embedded controller; identify an instance of the device from information in the command; retrieve data that is specific to the instance of the device, the data identifying additional data for the embedded controller to retrieve; and send the data to the embedded controller.
 51. The computer program of claim 50, wherein: the command includes a device type and/or one or more of a serial number and a universal unique identifier; and the instance of the device is identified based on the device type and/or one or more of the serial number and the universal unique identifier.
 52. The computer program of claim 51, further comprising instructions that cause the server to: parse the device type and one or more of the serial number and universal unique identifier from the command prior to identifying the instance of the device.
 53. The computer program of claim 50, wherein: the command includes an operational parameter for the device; and the data comprises an updated value of the operational parameter.
 54. The computer program of claim 50, wherein: the data comprises a list of operational parameters for the device; and the computer program further comprises instructions that cause the server to: receive a second command from the embedded controller, which includes an operational parameter from the list of operational parameters; obtain an updated value of the operational parameter; and send the updated value of the operational parameter to the embedded controller.
 55. The computer program of claim 50, wherein the data comprises a list of operations to be performed by the device.
 56. The computer program of claim 50, wherein the data comprises a configuration file for the device.
 57. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising instructions that cause the server to: receive the data specific to the instance of the device; and store the data in memory; wherein the data is retrieved from the memory.
 58. The computer program of claim 57, wherein the data specific to the instance of the device is received via a Web page generated by the server.
 59. The computer program of claim 50, wherein the server runs the Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the command contains Extensible Markup Language Code.
 60. The computer program of claim 50, further comprising instructions that cause the computer to: store the data in a queue; wherein the data is retrieved from the queue.
 61. An apparatus, embedded in a device, for retrieving data from a server, comprising: a memory which stores executable instructions; and a controller which executes the instructions to: send a command to the server that identifies an instance of the device; and receive, from the server and in response to the command, data that is specific to the instance of the device, the data identifying additional data to retrieve for the device.
 62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the command includes an operational parameter for the device and the data comprises an updated value for the operational parameter.
 63. The apparatus of claim 62, wherein the command includes plural operational parameters for the device and the data comprises updated values that differ from current values of the operational parameters.
 64. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the data comprises a list of operational parameters; and the controller executes instructions to: send a second command to the server, which includes operational parameters from the list; and receive, from the server and in response to the second command, updated values of one or more of the operational parameters included in the second command.
 65. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the data comprises a list of operations to be performed by the controller; and the controller executes instructions to: parse the operations from the list; and perform the operations from the list.
 66. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the data comprises a configuration file for the device.
 67. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the command identifies the instance of the device by a device type and/or one or more of a serial number and a universal unique identifier.
 68. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the controller sends the command to the server periodically.
 69. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the server runs the Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the command contains Extensible Markup Language Code.
 70. The apparatus of claim 69, wherein the data is received at the apparatus via the Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
 71. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the command includes a first operational parameter for the device and the data includes a second operational parameter that is unrelated to the first operational parameter.
 72. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein: the data includes a uniform resource locator; and the controller uses the uniform resource locator to obtain additional data that relates to the device.
 73. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein: the data includes an indication that additional data for the device is present at the server; and the controller executes instructions to: send a second command to the server to retrieve the additional data; and receive the additional data from the server in response to the second command.
 74. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein parameters in the command determine a content of the data.
 75. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein: the data is encrypted when the data is received; and the controller executes instructions to decrypt the data.
 76. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein: the data contains a digital signature when the data is received; and the controller executes instructions to authenticate the digital signature.
 77. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein: the data comprises a list of operations to be performed by the controller; and the operations comprise Simple Object Access Protocol calls that are scripted using Extensible Markup Language.
 78. An apparatus for sending data over a network to a controller embedded in a device, comprising: a memory which stores executable instructions; and a controller which executes the instructions to: receive a command from the embedded controller; identify an instance of the device from information in the command; retrieve data that is specific to the instance of the device, the data identifying additional data for the embedded controller to retrieve; and send the data to the embedded controller.
 79. The apparatus of claim 78, wherein: the command includes a device type and/or one or more of a serial number and a universal unique identifier; and the instance of the device is identified based on the device type and/or one or more of the serial number and the universal unique identifier.
 80. The apparatus of claim 79, wherein the apparatus executes instructions to: parse the device type and one or more of the serial number and universal unique identifier from the command prior to identifying the instance of the device.
 81. The apparatus of claim 78, wherein: the command includes an operational parameter for the device; and the data comprises an updated value of the operational parameter.
 82. The apparatus of claim 78, wherein: the data comprises a list of operational parameters for the device; and the apparatus executes instructions to: receive a second command from the embedded controller, which includes an operational parameter from the list of operational parameters; obtain an updated value of the operational parameter; and send the updated value of the operational parameter to the embedded controller.
 83. The apparatus of claim 78, wherein the data comprises a list of operations to be performed by the device.
 84. The apparatus of claim 78 wherein the data comprises a configuration file for the device.
 85. The apparatus of claim 78, wherein the controller executes instructions to: receive the data specific to the instance of the device; and store the data in memory; and wherein the data is retrieved from the memory.
 86. The apparatus of claim 85, wherein the data specific to the instance of the device is received via a Web page generated by the server.
 87. The apparatus of claim 78, wherein the apparatus runs the Hypertext Transfer Protocol and the command contains Extensible Markup Language Code.
 88. The method of claim 78, further comprising: a queue for storing the data; wherein the controller executes instructions to retrieve the data from the queue. 